Atheneion’s Researches and Studies on the Ancient World

In praise of daydreaming

In this moneymaking, high-speed, success-oriented and appearance-is-all ruled world habitually “daydreamer” is a slightly offensive adjective of mockery with which inflexible restless sad workaholics, stiff etiquette and formalism worshippers and taut sentence-spitters pitifully address to the high cultural circles’ outcasts and world-that-counts’ pariahs – in other words and to their bold self confident eyes a flock of absentminded and hopelessly quiet losers.

Nonetheless among those who ridiculously cannot realise and accept the limits and conditions of their own personalities, finances and lives and regardless strive to unreasonably divert the course of the events and nonsensically force them into an impossible lusty paradigm – which could be called utopians; or those who wish to follow unworthy highly publicised role models or worse to involve others into their own miserable ineptitude – which we could call visionaries; there are those who wisely lead their lives leaving room to sound and temperate daydreaming: a most commendable practise and meditative exercise – and naturally these are the fortunate ones I am hereby referring to.

Dreaming is unquestionably a fundamental aspect of living: imagination and fantasy create true emotions and indelible feelings. Hopes and expectations, as well as regrets and remorse, widely spread throughout daydreams accompanying the steps of our life. Anyhow woolgathering is neither a unmistakably distinct project of life, nor a well pondered definitive course of action, and it is not even the childish and useless proclaim for an alternative and of course better reality; it is a mere, and consciously distinct, image of reality that exceeds every day’s life and reassesses it under a new – happier and smoother – light.

In truth sometimes this reverie is more dangerously like a vague sense of emptiness and it reveals the confidence, or perhaps the warm hope, one has for being worthy of something better, yet, not knowing what this something actually is – as wonderfully depicted in a few lines by Flaubert:

and this by opposing a marvellously clear and mellow perspective, often unachievable, that – I daresay fortunately – melts within one’s imagination. Flaubert, rather a gloomy personality, reaches wonderful nuances of merriment when daydreaming..:

Nonetheless, I wish to remark that daydreaming does not mean censure or forgetfulness of actuality, or worse escape from real life; it is rather a flame in the darkness, a rosy perspective in proximity of a paramount choice or a capital turn of life. Even art – especially poetry – is always inspired and supported by dreams: the artists represents life just the way he/she sees it; without borders, rules and limitations. Even though sometimes this representations of the world might be rather sorrowful and murky the satisfaction of creation gives him/her peace and joy: music enthuses the listener with memories, and evoking affections and relations. Fortunately this is not a mere privilege of great minds, everyone can seek for the spark that can inspire and enrich his/her aspirations and expectations from life. In fact the great emotions that art can instigate are tightly linked to its ability in setting free the reality from the schemes and formats, by expressing it through new and diverse representations.

Human beings should never level themselves to the immediate representation of reality, but they have the right – if not the duty – to transfigure it to the extent that, via this new image of actuality, they can comply, or at least cope, with the dream of the life they mostly cherish for.It is obviously a clear fact that all human activities must consider the existing conditions and requisites and the overall framework they develop within; actually too often mirages get shattered, perspectives fade away, prospect projects weaken down: but even those professionally firmly taken decisions and highly detailed programmed/budgeted doings are based on an implicit fallacious assumption: the absolute existence of solely controllable variables… Yet even pessimism is, to a certain extent, a degenerated representation of reality, which additionally discourages from hard fighting and forecloses any enthusiasm.

Even such a severe author like Dante Alighieri, who most certainly knew enough the world’s crudeness and its impact on actual life as he had his share of defeats, disappointments and troubles, could not refrain from daydreaming:

[Guido, I wish that Lapo, you and I,
could be by spells conveyed, as it were now,
upon a vessel, with all the winds that blow
across all seas at our good whim to sail.

So that no misfortune nor temper of the sky
could ruin our route with hatred or cruel slip;
but we, respecting our old friendship,
to be companions still should long thereby.

And Lady Joan, and Lady Lagia, then
with she who’s the thirtieth on my rank,
with us should our good wizard set:

sailing and talking always and only of love:
and each of our three ladies would be merry
as we should be, I think, if this were thus.]

Thus surprisingly such an austere writer, who dared to describe in his Divina Commedia an audaciously insightful journey throughout the “Other World” portraying crude punishments, poignant atonements and mystic joy, used to covet a very simple – and rather common I daresay – dream: to sail far and away, boundlessly, on a little vessel with his two best friends and fellow poets Guido Cavalcanti and Lapo Gianni and their three girlfriends, cherishing the pleasure of infinite hours spent talking about art and love within the smooth waves of the tranquil ocean.

I definitely concur that modern life requires a cold blooded capacity of promptly and correctly analysing people and situations. Nonetheless daydreams accompany life, do not replace it; they do not overflow on actuality, but can smooth it out – thus reducing its severity, intransigence and harshness; and they allow to overcome dire moments by unveiling promising new perceptions of present and future. Therefore consequent joy, sadness, hopes and fears should move along our daily steps following – but absolutely not stopping – the rhythm of our life, which would be otherwise too rational, and also way more droning.

Ultimately daydreaming is both the spring and symptom of a positive attitude towards life, because in each and every moment gives room and way to hints of happiness, flashes of possible satisfactions and anticipations of prospect victories: altogether some softer and milder expectations that may try to counterbalance those foggy, grey and gloomy hours and days that nobody ever lacks of…

Thank you so much for this tribute to imagination! As usual, I agree – daydreaming is not only a pleasant pastime, it is necessary and creative. To gain a wider perspective, a help not be overpowered by the trivialities of daily life. Emily Dickinson, a woman who most certainly needed her dreams, describes it so well:

“The soul has moments of Escape –
When bursting all the doors –
She dances like a Bomb, abroad,
And swings upon the Hours,

As do the Bee – delirious borne –
Long Dungeoned from his Rose –
Touch Liberty – then known no more,
But Noon, and Paradise – ”

Daydreaming can be like that, a great source of joy, if time and present occupation allows … Then sometimes it’s just a little thought that sneaks up in your brain when you are occupied with some boring but necessary task at work. And you lend back a couple of minutes:

Another daydreamer and one of the great Italian masters, Petrarch, made the most creative use of his dreams in “Il Canzoniere”. Though he lead a busy life, very productive and prosperous, it seems as if he had to return over and over again to this dream of impossible love and unreachable beauty.

Dear Atheneion,
I really understand and agree with you. Without dreams I would feel absolutely lost. I pity those who cannot dream and think that life is just getting a good job, work hard till late night and show off their new clothes and jewellery on weekends.
Nadia

Fantastic article, perceptive and inspirational, in fact absolutely beautiful. I hate workaholics, and all those idiots in suite and tie who take life and themselves too seriously… what kind of life do they really live?
Keep up with these posts, I won’t stop reading you!
Louise

I read your blog regularly, never wrote a comment though. I couldn’t help to write you this time. I find your word well weighed and your thought clear. You seem quite convinced of what you say, and this honours you.
I like your style and especially this post.
Miranda

Dear Atheneion,
let them waste their time chasing success and money, showing off their fancy name brand clothes and claiming pretending they KNOW IT ALL.
They are missing the best of life, poor things!
Solange

I love this post. You write things straightforwardly but with high style. I believe in every word you wrote. There are too many idiots around us who think they have the world at their feet because of money, social prestige or so called “culture”…… please….c’mon! Bravo!
Cindy

Hi, I guess that Dante’s dreams of isolation from the rest of the world (although in company of his best friends) speaks for on his introspective character, maybe as gloomy as Flaubert?
Lovely article
Holly

a fantastic unexpected “drizzle” of pertinent comments and copious nice emails has bloomed in response to this post, making it actually difficult for me to arrange and post distinct, apposite and circumstantiate responses to such a numerous series of observations.
Nevertheless it is my wish to thank each and everyone of you – relentless affectionate readers as well as occasional always-welcome blog-visitors – for your compliments and commentaries.

Thus, as you can see those who are roasted by the society that worships public triumphs, appearances and formalisms are not alone in dreaming of uncommon attainments and coveting unconventional aspirations; which is, by the way, partly also the implicit wisdom within Dante’s dream lines:
– a friendship and camaraderie whose exclusive and pleasure are primarily based on a common vision and a real passion for a deserving undertaking;
– a timeless (twice the Poet writes the word “sempre”=always) and cosy space (a little sailing vessel…) where nothing but their wishes and their beloved ones are admitted; and none of the turbulences from the outer world are allowed;
– a private language and intimate jargon (e.g. “she who’s the thirtieth on my rank…”) which enhances the intimacy and the feel of “belonging” to a circle of trust;
– the pivotal role of art and love which proudly enhances the “outcast effect” from the rest world, so typical of enamoured people.
So, what is wrong with all that? Nothing, I deem…!

Therefore why deriding with scorn people who, not losing the tracks of reality, seriously nourish the setting of unusual goals? Why shaking heads with compassion when watching persons who consciously do not follow the main stream by instead serenely leading an uncharacteristic life? Why demoting someone with disappointment because he/she, by courageous and cognisant choice, pursues his/her true happiness in his/her own personally nonconforming way?

“All people dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind, wake in the morning to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they dream their dreams with open eyes, and make them come true”. [T.E. Lawrence]